LOAD “ISSUE 85”,8,1 # Run for the sun little one, you’re an outlaw once again… #
FOUND ISSUE 85 # My camera never lies anymore; cos there’s nothing worth lying for #
COVER FEATURE: LAND OF NEVERWHERE We’re heading back into LAND OF NEVERWHERE, a budget shoot-’em-up from The Power House / Alpha Omega that I absolutely played to bits in 1987. As many of you know, I’m a hopeless hoarder of all things budget‑label, and at £1.99 this one was right up my alley. I’m genuinely looking forward to revisiting it — and you’re all coming along for the ride.
LET’S HACK: LAND OF NEVERWHERE We’ve shared our retrospective of the game, and now it’s time to pass it through our infamous Vinny-O-Matic™ for an additional bit of fun 😊
HIDDEN HARMONIES Who doesn’t love a good Commodore 64 SID tune? We certainly do, which is why we’re shining a spotlight on the hidden harmonies tucked away in Barry McGuigan’s Championship Boxing, European 5‑a‑Side, HES Games, and World Class Rugby. Warren has dug up some genuinely impressive tracks here, and they’re well worth a listen.
JULIAN RIGNALL’S CCRAPBACK! It’s been a long time coming, but our Julian is finally wrapping up his deep dive into the CCRAP C64 “classics” from ZZAP!64 issue 22. There were so many stinkers packed into that issue that we’ve spent the last four months reviewing them in gas masks. This final batch features Surfchamp, Scooby Doo, Breakthru, and Xeno, and each one reeking to high heaven in its own uniquely awful way.
SECRET SQUIRREL INVESTIGATES Our fluff‑ball agent is back on the case, digging through another batch of secret files — this time uncovering Dynamite Dux (revisited), Rasterscan, and Hunter Patrol. It still amazes me that, even after a decade of rummaging through game code, he continues to unearth these delightful little trinkets for us to enjoy.
DEVELOPERS’ DEN: JOHN PALMER This instalment of our ever-popular Developers’ Den, we’ve nabbed one half of the Palmer brothers: John Palmer, the pixel wizard responsible for the graphics in Target Renegade, Dragon Ninja, WEC Le Mans, Rastan, and of course our cover game, Land of Neverwhere. His story is a cracking peek into the world of 8‑bit pixel design. You’re going to love it!
IN DEVELOPMENT: WAITERWAITER! We’re always on the lookout for new Commodore 64 games, and not just so we can review them, but because we’re genuinely fascinated by the people who make them. We love digging into the thoughts and processes that drive their ideas. And we especially enjoy hearing from those brave souls who choose to dive head‑first into the wonderfully quirky world of C64 game development. And so, we visit new-age Commodore 64 programmer Stacy Bates and chat with him about the development of his high-score chaser, WaiterWaiter! It’s a cute, little game that deserves a bit of attention.
OUT OF THE ‘MOULDY CUPBOARD’ We’re diving back into the murky depths of the infamous Mouldy Cupboard, and this time we’ve dredged up Cataclysm, Audiogenic Software’s 1983 oddity. Trust me, you’re going to enjoy this one because the story of how I ended up with this game is downright hilarious. And, yes, mildly embarrassing.
DIARY OF A GAME: OPERATION VOSTOKA The ever‑brilliant Chris Stanley is hard at work on his upcoming C64 title, Operation Vostoka, and he’s generously sharing his development diary entries with us as he goes. It’s genuinely fascinating stuff. This time around, he’s been busy dropping fresh sprites and new gameplay elements into the mix, and you can feel the game inching closer to release with every update.
MY C64 HEAVEN: KIM HEISE It’s time to peek inside another of our FREEZE64 subscribers’ treasured Commodore 64 collections. This round, we’re hopping across the Atlantic to Castle Rock, Colorado, where Kim Heise has built his very own Commodore 64 Heaven. His setup is seriously impressive — the kind that makes any C64 fan just a little bit jealous.
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